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5 Steps To Reverse Workplace Negativity

Posted February 8, 2018

The typical workplace has its ups and downs in terms of employee negativity, but when your company’s been in a down cycle for too long, it’s time to take control and turn it around. When negativity goes unchecked, morale nosedives, productivity suffers, communication comes to a halt and people stop working well together. Business, of course, will suffer. Understanding why this happens to employees can help you prevent it from happening in your business.

A study conducted by Towers Perrin and researchers Gang & Gang determined that the reasons for most employee negativity included:

• An excessive workload

• Concerns about management’s ability to lead the company forward successfully

• Anxiety about the future, income and retirement security

• Lack of challenge in their work, with boredom intensifying existing frustration about workload

• Insufficient recognition for the level of contribution and effort provided, and concerns that pay isn’t commensurate with performance.

The study also found that some employees with a negative outlook were seeking new jobs, but the majority were planning to stick it out, despite their unhappiness!

How Can You Reverse Employee Negativity?

1. Talk to your employees. Find out who is unhappy and why. Then try to address these concerns–and include employees in the decision making process, especially when you’re making decisions that affect their everyday working life.

2. Try to redistribute workloads when possible. Many employees may feel overworked and this is one way to show you’re paying attention to their needs.

3. Offer consistent, transparent communication – share information about the company, its successes and its future plans. Make sure your employees know exactly what is expected of them if they want to make the next step up the ladder. You can evaluate your promotion system annually to make sure it’s always fair and equitable.

4. Create a professional development plan with all employees. This can be a time to check-in and be sure they are on the right track. Review annually or even bi-annually to keep everything running smoothly.

5. Hard work deserves recognition. When you thank your employees for their hard work, they gain a sense of professional self-worth and feel more confident.

Reversing workplace negativity is never easy, but you’ll know you’ve succeeded when your employees return to being productive and positive.